Language selection

Search

Weed Seed: Alopecurus myosuroides (Slender foxtail)

Invasive Plant - Slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides)

Family

Poaceae

Common name

Slender foxtail

Regulation

Prohibited Noxious, Class 1 in the Canadian Weed Seeds Order, 2016 under the Seeds Act. All imported and domestic seed must be free of Prohibited Noxious weed seeds.

Listed on the List of Pests Regulated by Canada established under the Plant Protection Act.

Distribution

Canadian: Previously reported from BC and MB; however, populations did not persist (CFIA 2012Footnote 1).

Worldwide: Native to northern Africa, Asia and Europe and introduced in Australia, New Zealand, China, North America (U.S., Mexico), and South America (CFIA 2014Footnote 2).

Duration of life cycle

Winter annual

Seed or fruit type

Spikelet

Identification features

Size

Shape

Surface texture

Colour

Other features

Habitat and crop association

Cultivated fields, moist meadows, forests and disturbed ground. A significant weed of temperate cereal crops, and also infests canola, grass seed and forage legumes (CFIA 2014Footnote 2).

General information

Slender foxtail is recognized as one of the most damaging weeds in winter cereals in western Europe (CABI 2016Footnote 3). While the mechanism of introduction into the United States is not clear, specimens of slender foxtail were collected in 1914 (CABI 2016Footnote 3). It is currently a problem in cereals in western Oregon and eastern Washington, and has also spread into pastures (Lass and Prather 2007Footnote 4). It appears to prefer heavy clay and chalk soils, but can tolerate sandy or gravelly soil (CABI 2016Footnote 3).

Similar species

Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis)

Photos

Slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides) spikelets and caryopsis
Slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides) spikelet
Slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides) spikelet
Slender foxtail (Alopecurus myosuroides) caryopsis

Similar species

Similar species: Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) spikelets
Similar species: Meadow foxtail (Alopecurus pratensis) spikelet
Date modified: